Aircraft empennage



March 4, 1930. REYNOLDS 1,749,507

AIRCRAFT EMPENNAGE Filed Feb. 8, 1929 S Sheets-Sheet l gwuantoz Edwqrd Leonard Reynolds March 4, 1930. REYNOLDS 1,749,507

AIRCRAFT EMPENNAGE Filed Feb. 8, 1929 v s Sheets-Sheet 2 March 4, 1930. E. L. REYNOLDS 1,749,507

AIRCRAFT EMPEN'NAQE Filed Feb. 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuentw I a 'TEa wardhmJm- Patented Mar. 4, 1930 EDWARD LEONARD REYNOLDS, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA AIRCRAFT EMPENNAGE Application filed February 8, 1929. Serial No. 338,505.

This invention relates to an improved empennage for aeroplanes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an empennage including foldable elements combined with novel means to permit the same to'be stored within the tail of the fuselage, when the latter alights on the water, for example. e l A'further object'is to furnish a sectional rudder, the sectionsof which, when assembled, are used for air navigation; one of the sections being used for water navigation, when the other section is, stored within the hull or fuselage.

' A further object is to provide an empennage having combined horizontal stabilizers and elevators which may also be drawn within and housedby the hull whenthe craft is used for water navigation.

Another object is to furnish an empennage of the above character with an adjustable vertical stabilizer or fin' which 'co-operates with the rudder and maybe stored within the hull when the craft alights on water.

A further object is to provide to empennage, all parts of which, with the exception of the lower part ofthe rudder may be stored within the hull in case the craft is forced to alight on the water. This will not alone prevent breakage of such elements, but will keep the'same from interfering with the stability of the craft in water navigation.

With the foregoing objects outlined and I with other objects in view-which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan View of my improved empennage. v I Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly broken away, and with the various parts in their normal positions. 1

ig. 3 is a similarview with certain parts stored. I

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the parts in normal position, and shown cooperating with an aircraft that is in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of certain details.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of a detail, taken on line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a detail'on the line 77 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the tiller bar. Fig. 9 is an enlarged top plan view of a detail and showing the manner of connecting a part of the rudder support to the vertical stabilizer, or lin. In the drawings, 1 designates the rear end of an aeroplane fuselage or hull, which is provided externally with a horizontal hinged platform or equalizer 2, having a longitudinallyextending slot 3. A lower rudder section 4 (Fig. 2) is hinged at 5 to the stern post of the hull, and just below this post the tail skidor guard 6 is located. As shown in Fig. 5, the rudder section 4: is fast on a vertical shaft 7, which projects at its upper end into a tiller bar 8, that is fixed to the shaft. As is usual, this bar has oppositely extending arms 9 to which control 'mechanism (not shown) is attached to allow the rudder shaft to be turned from the pilots station. When the aircraft is navigated on water, the rudder section 4; will function as an ordinary rudder for navigation purposes.

For the purpose of converting the section tinto part of an aerial rudder, its opposite side surfaces converge toward its upper edge, as best shown in Fig. 7, and enters a recess 10 formed in the lower edge portion of an upper shiftable rudder section 11. This section is fixed to an upper rock shaft 12, which, as shownin Fig. 5, has a square lower end that is slidably mounted in a square socket 13, provided in the tiller bar.

A yoke 14 has upper and lower arms 15 and 16 in which the rock shaft 12 is journaled, and the rock shaft bears at its lower end upon an anti-friction thrust bearing 17, carried by the arm 16. It will be noted at this point, that the rock shaft extends through a sleeve 18 which forms part of the upper rudder section 11, and is located between its front and rear end portions 19 and 20. As the upper and lower shafts 12 and 7 are clutched together by the tiller bar 8, obviously, when the bar 8 is moved, both rudder sections 4 and 11 will be simultaneously moved, and the front portion 19 of the upper section will rock within the yoke 14.

To permit the upper rudder section 11 to be shipped or stored within the hull, the lower corner of the yoke is fast on a shaft 21 which is provided with a fixed gear 22 that 'meshes with'an operating gear on a shaft 24. I propose to turn the shaft 24 by a servomotor (not shown) and from Figs. 2 and 3, it may be seen that when the servo-motor is operated to turn the wheel 23 in a counterclockwise direction, the upper section 11 of the rudder will be swung forwardly about the axis of the shaft 21, and the rudder 'will move through the slot 3 into the hull, Where it may be stored, as shown in Fig. 3.. Of course, when the rudder section 201s in either its outboard (or shipped position, it may be secured in such position by a suitable lock or brake.

It will also be notedthat when the section 11 is swung forwardly with the yoke 14, the lower end of the shaft 12 will automatically disconnect itself from the tiller bar 8.

A vertical stabilizer or upwardly extending fin 25 cooperates with the yoke 14, and has its front end mounted on a horizontal shaft 26. Thisfin is of bifurcated construction, and is made up of spaced side plates 27 which are joined together at their front ends 28. This, bifurcated construction allows the shiftable rudder section 11 to be swung forwardly and downwardly between the plates 27 ,.when the section 11 is to be stored, and at this point itmay be observed that the vertical stabilizer 25 normally projects upwardly through the slot 3 of the hinged equalizer. When the parts are in normal position, a T:

' shaped head 29 on the yoke 14 interlocks with spaced lugs 30 on the rear ends of the stabilizer plates 27, and spring pressed latches 31 may be employed to hold the headin rigid engagement with the lugs. Of course, the

' latches may be actuated by any suitable means.

to permit them to be released from the pilots station. n p y Any suitable form of latch 32, such as diagrammatically shown in F ig. 2, may be projected beneath the stabilizer 25 near its rear end, for the purpose of normally holding the stabilizer and yoke 14 rigidly in position, and like the latches 31, the latch 32 may be connected to suitable means to allow the same i to be operated from the pilots station.

'located in the side of the hull, immediately above or below the deck (see Fig. 3). 7

Of course, the elevators and horizontal stabilizers cannot be stored until after the rudder section 11 and vertical stabilizer 25 have been stored, and when the latteri's in stored position, its rear upperrend will rest against a; protruding end of the shaft 21.} ()bviously, the shaft 24 does not project entirely across the hull, for if it, did, it would interfere with the storing of the parts. 7

To'allow the stabilizers 35 and .the1eleva tors 33 which they carry,,to be storedwithout interference by each other,, one of the j shafts 36 may be raised by a calm, as the shaft I turns, softhat one stabilizer and the; elevator carried thereby will'be elevated to a higher plane than the other, whereby these parts In actual practice, I- prefer tov make the shaft26 fast to thefront end of the vertical stabilizer 25, and to operate such shaft by a servo-motor or the like, so that this stabimay be superposed whilestoring the same.

lizer may be raised or lowered by controls positioned at the pilots station.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that when anaeroplane having anempennage made in accordance with my. inventiom is forced to alight upon'the water, the parts 11, 14, 25, 33 and 35 may be readily shipped to prevent the same from being damaged, andto also prevent the samefrom interfere ing with the stability and guidingof: the hull on the water; Thisis particularly ad vantageous in rough water-,for it will tend to prevent wind orrwa-ves from exertin'gca'psizing forces on the empennage.

Fromthe foregoing it isbelieved that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention may be readily understoodby, those conversant with aircraft, and I, am aware that changes maybemade in the details disclosed, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, asexpressed in the claims.

\Vhat I claim and ters Patent is: a

1. An empennage including a rudder'c'orr' sisting of upper and. lower sections detachably connected together, a hull to which the desireto secure bylLet rudderis connected, and means for-detaching 2. An aircraft empennage, including a hull, a rudder pivotally connected to the hull and consisting of upper and lower sections, and

means for detaching the upper section from the lower section, and for moving the upper section into the hull.

3. An aircraft empennage, including a hull, a rudder pivotally connected to said hull and consisting of upper and lower sections, and means for detaching the upper section from the lower section, and for swinging the upper section into the hull.

4. In an aircraft empennage, a pivoted rudder and a movable tip-standing vertical stabilizer, and means pivotally mounting the stabilizer to permit the same to be stored in the hull.

5. In anaircraft empennage, a hull, a rudder pivotally connectedto the hull and including upper andlower sections det-achably connected together, a yoke carrying the upper section,-and means for moving the yoke and upper section into the hull.

6. An aircraft empennage, including a hull,

a rudder pivotally mounted on the hull and including upper and lower sections detachably connected together, a shaft for each section, and clutching means connecting said shafts together. a 7. An aircraft empennage, including a hull, a rudder pivotally mounted on the hull and including upper and lower sections detachably connected together, a shaft for each section, and a tiller bar detachably connecting the shafts together.

8. An aircraft empennage, including a hull, a rudder pivotally mounted on the hull and consisting of upper and lower sections detachably connected together, means for moving said sections in unison, and a carrying member for the upper section, pivotally mounted on the hull for movement about a horizontal axis.

9. An aircraft empennage, including a hull, a rudder pivotally mounted on the hull and 7 consisting of upper and lower sections detachably connected together, a yoke carrying the upper section, a shaft on which the yoke is mounted, and means for rotating said shaft for moving the upper section and yoke into the hull.

10. In an aircraft empennage, a rudder member and a stabilizer member, each of said a members being mounted for movement about I for detachably connecting said members together, mounting means for the members including horizontal shafts, one of said members having spaced side plates, and the other member being adapted to be moved into the hull and stored between said side plates.

12. An aircraft empennage, including a hull, a rudder support pivotally mounted on the hull for movement about a horizontal axis for the purpose of storing the rudder within the hull, a stabilizer pivotally mounted on the hull and adapted to support the yoke in one position, said stabilizer including spaced side plates between which the yoke and rudder may be moved into the hull.

13. An aircraft empennage, including pivotally connected elevators and horizontal stabilizers, a hull, means connecting said elevators and stabilizers to the hull, and means to permit said elevators and stabilizers to be moved to a stored posit-ion within the hull without separating the last mentioned connecting means.

14. An aircraft empennage, including a hull, horizontal stabilizers mounted on the hull and adapted to be moved from a position exteriorly of the hull to a position within the hull, horizontal shafts connected to the stabilizers, elevators mounted on said shafts, and means supporting said shafts for movement about vertical axes.

15. An aircraft empennage including a hull, horizontal stabilizers mounted on the hull and adapted to be moved from a position exteriorly of the hull to a position within the hull, horizontal shafts connected to the stabilizers, elevators mounted on said shafts, means to permit the inner ends of said shafts to be rotated, and means for supporting said shafts for movement about vertical axes arranged within the hull.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDWVARD LEONARD REYNOLDS. 

